Chris Rock Compares Will to Suge Knight in His Oscars Slap Joke

Hours after Will Smith posted his video where he apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him at the 2022 Academy Awards telecast, the veteran comedian addressed the Oscars slap in his stand-up routine in Atlanta last night.

According to a CNN report, published on Saturday (July 30), Chris Rock graced the stage at the Fox Theater in Atlanta on Friday night (July 29), as part of his Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour, and publicly addressed the Oscars slap at length. The New York funnyman jokingly compared Will Smith to Suge Knight when talking about the infamous slap.

“Everybody is trying to be a fucking victim. If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims,” he reportedly said. “Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith.”

With that joke, Rock may be referencing Suge Knight‘s past reputation for running his Death Row Records label with an iron fist. Industry rumors of Knight dangling Vanilla Ice over a hotel balcony by his feet in the 1990s (Ice denied it) and allegedly beating up the late Eazy-E so he could release Dr. Dre and the D.O.C. from Ruthless Records are urban legends in hip-hop.

Nevertheless, Rock added that after being slapped by Smith, he realized that the show must go on. “I went to work the next day, I got kids,” he said.

“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” Rock later told the audience.

Smith on Friday appeared to show contrition for his actions at the 2022 Oscars in his nearly 6-minute video. The Hollywood heavyweight not only apologized to Chris but to his brother, Tony, and their mother, Rose Rock, who expressed disappointment in Will’s behavior that night. “When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us,” she told WIS News 10 back in April, adding, “but he really slapped me.”

Smith also apologized to his own family and clarified that his behavior was unacceptable.

Since the incident, the film academy has punished Will Smith with a 10-year ban from all events, including the Oscars ceremonies.

Watch Will Smith’s “It’s Been a Minute…” Apology Video to Chris Rock and Others